On November 17, the Khmer Times published a warning about the possibility of new attacks by Thai soldiers in the border area.
Sources in the newspaper warned of a plan to attack Thai troops, scheduled to take place on November 18 in the Thmar Da area and O'Phluk Damrey Dam in Pursat province. The article added that the Cambodian government is " closely monitoring the situation".
These allegations are the latest in a series of serious tensions between the two neighbors. On November 12 alone, Cambodia accused Thai soldiers of firing at the border village of Prey Chan in Banteay Meanchey province, killing one local resident and seriously injuring three others.
The border crisis flared up again just a day after Thailand unilaterally suspended a joint peace declaration with Cambodia on November 10. This is a historic peace agreement signed in October under the intermediary of US President Donald Trump.
Bangkok has decided to suspend the operation after two Thai soldiers were seriously injured in a blast while patrolling the border. Thailand has accused Cambodia of placing mines. The move prompted Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to order a halt to all cooperation actions, including a plan to return Cambodian prisoners of war on November 12.
For its part, Phnom Penh flatly denied the mine clearing allegations. The Cambodian government has stressed its commitment to strictly comply with the Border Guard Treaty.
All of this has erased the diplomatic advances made in October, when Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed a peace deal on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The agreement outlines steps to "reduc the escalation of tensions and restore trust", including withdrawing heavy weapons from the border under ASEAN supervision. The deal was originally set out to resolve armed clashes in July in the disputed border area.
